Huntsville gazette., 1887-01-29
CAREER OF AN APPRENTICE.
Mr. Herkomer's Instructive Story OF His
Fathers Life and Struggles.

Fathers Life and Struggles.
NV father, of course, is a splendid
sample of the past age that honored
apprenticeship. Let your hearers know
what the dignity of pprenticeship
means. My father was apprenticed at
fourteen years Of age, had to do all the
hard work of boys Of that time, clean
his masters boots, etc.; and thoughshe
sat with the masters family Gas all the
other workmen did) at table, he never
had quite enough TO eat. He had ~
learn his trade as wed as he-eouid By :
watching and without real tuition. On
Sundays the apprentices OF all the
trades were marshaled in procession, (
accompanied by gendarmes, to the
three schools-Sunday-school, day
school and drawing-school. During
that time my father already showed
ability as draughtsman. His master
saw his talent, and wanted him to COM
pete for the one silver medal given that
year to the apprentices for drawing in
Munich, but he was too poor to buy
the material. So the master gave him
the paper, Indian ink and materials,
and his drawings gained the silver
medal. / have those drawings now.
They are mastery in their beautiful
precision and delicacy OF touch Prizes
were awarded by the mayor OF the
town in the fine old town hall OF
Munich-there was great crowd OF
people to see the apprentices get their
prizes, and when my father received
his medal from the hands of the mayor
| blast of trumpets sounded to marx
the event. 1t was the only time IN
his life, said my father, that che
did not feel his legs when he
walked ont" Those are great trl-
umphs. He then worked his way up to
be journeyman workman, and then
travelled on foot, with knapsack on
his back, to Amsterdam, Brussels and
Paris, learning all the different meth
DDS Of work in each city and country,
when he made his masterpiece, and
was pronounced an extra good master
of his craft. He then made another
tour on foot, and when he returned
went in for a thorough course of per
spectlve and geometry, aud also studied
the Gothic style from its foundation.
He then settled in his native place,
starting with the commission to make
new altar S@ the church. But his
mind was ..ahead" of the times. He
had his romantic notions and wished
to build his own house. He pulled
down the house left him by his father,
which was in bad state, and built
charming house, which stia, stands,
and in which was born. But though
it was simple it was dignitieed. How
ever. lS4S spoilt Germany. lie fn'-
' was too ''dght." a"' -v.o 1t
!. | ~ .-.u IN 1851 we three
my father and mother and | 1.-TWO
e years old) -emigrated to America.
: There the climate after six years af-
t fected the health of my mother and
n myself, and we came to England. Now
/ in England at that time there was no
taste for workmanship. We struggled
with poverty until could earn some
money. But here mark the difference.
The noble man who had gone through
the severe training never allowed pow
: erty to take one digniied thought from
t him or to make him feel that life had
3 only misery for him. He gave up
7 smoking and drinking alcoholic
liquors and even eating meat
SO as to reduce expenses.
Ny dear mother gave music
, lessons for middle-class people. We
had to live on thirty shillings week.
With this the ''master workman" my
father, had a few chances of showing
his skill; but he did buy little wood
from time to time, and did beautiful
carved work without, however, being
able to sell it. Still he was a master,
and lived adignified life that could only
come to a man when trained as he was
trained. He never would have had the
self-control without that training. He
was my one companion as a boy. !
worked with him. He knew how to
guide my enthusiasm and with scarcely
any means at hand I learned craft, /
learned to use my hands, and every
day of my life do / bless the difficulties
that really threw me SO much in his
company. He was to me not only
father but an ''ideal'' man. All his
emotions, all his principles I drank in,
and now it is my privilege to be able to
work out the dream of his life. All the
work he has done for years will have
shrine. and so, too, the work of his two
brothers-the carver and the weaver
in my great house. The blessings OF
temperance he has given me also.
Can you imagine such life without
an apprentir ,eshipp can not tits th'
curse OF tb e age that young people = :,
to jump INTO nraturity at r - ~isl
that the. deshS is not to ? h~. lu' ' aug
done" to deal in me article 81
max it. Responsibility has cursed ID tbi. "
g In TINS country-a craftsman is moi
opposed to be 2 gentleman. Man
Gazette, -'-''''